Menippus

Menippus of Gadara (/məˈnɪpəs/; Greek: Μένιππος ὁ Γαδαρεύς Menippos ho Gadareus; fl.

His works, all of which are lost, were an important influence on Varro and Lucian, who ranks Menippus with Antisthenes, Diogenes, and Crates as among the most notable of the Cynics.

[4][5] He was originally a slave,[6] in the service of a citizen of Pontus, but in some way obtained his freedom and relocated to Thebes.

Diogenes Laërtius relates a dubious[7] story that he amassed a fortune as a money-lender, lost it, and committed suicide.

His writings exercised considerable influence upon later literature, and the Menippean satire genre is named after him.